Little Demon

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                                     Little Demon

Sometimes the weather cooperates and we are able to have long, elaborate pairings with cigars, but where I live, the climate is very different from that of the Northern Hemisphere and I have to plan shorter pairings that feature intense aromas and flavors.  I know some of my readers will relate, having smoked a cigar on a terrace, even if covered with snow!

The cocktail I selected is similar to a Manhattan, with a few modifications.  First of all, make sure you have a cocktail shaker filled with large chunks of ice.  Add a few drops of orange bitters to the ice, then pour 3 ounces of El Dorado 15 Year Old Rum and finally another 3 ounces of craft Vermouth.  Stir gently, only enough to chill the cocktail without diluting it too much.  Pour into a chilled glass (it is a good idea to have these in the freezer at all times) and you’ll have a simple, excellent cocktail with all the famous Demerara traits.

For the cigar I selected a Habano Serie D N° 6 from Partagás.  This is one of the smallest formats from the cigar collection from Habanos SA, it is 50 x 90mm and gives us a smoking time of around 15 minutes, ideal for cocktails that are temperature-critical for their balance.

While I opted to use a craft Vermouth in this recipe, try to find a Vermouth Rosso with a bit of aging and complexity, not very fruity, this way it will combine better with the El Dorado, harmonizing better with its style and complexity, highlighting the heavy alcohol (high congener) notes in the cocktail.

While some people will say that it is sacrilegious to use this rum in mixology, while I understand them I also know that if we make the cocktail with only the finest ingredients, while respecting the rum’s profile and personality, that the result will be excellent for a pairing, like in this case.

While the pairing is a relatively quick one, the cigar has a very well-defined intensity/strength that matches perfectly.  I believe that a medium-bodied cigar would not have matched the cocktail, actually I would have preferred to drink the cocktail by itself at that point.  In our case, however, with a full-bodied cigar, there are leather and dark wood notes that match perfectly with the Vermouth and the boldness of the El Dorado 15, which is dry and caramelized.

This is truly a simple pairing but one that is complex and that has a long-lasting aftertaste.  I finished smoking 15 minutes ago and I’m still enjoying all the aromas.

I am sure you’ll enjoy this pairing.  If you don’t have some of the ingredients, try to replace them with other of similar characteristics.

Philip IlI Barake

#GRCigarPairing